Mounting for articles



May 22, 1956 G. H. LEONARD MOUNTING FOR ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2 1951 FIG.

FIG. 2 LQIT INVENTOR D R A N E H L M a m E m G R 0 E G y 1956 G. H. LEONARD MOUNTING FOR ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed Oct. 2, 1951 NARD INVENTOR GEORGE H. L

6? ATTORNEY May 22, 1956 a. H. LEONARD 2,746,775

MOUNTING FOR ARTICLES Filed Oct. 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Shoot 5 INVENTOR GEORGE H.LEONARD ATTORNEY MOIJ'NTKNG FUR ARTICLES George H. Leonard, Nor-stun Heights, Conm, assignor to Machlett Laboratories, Incorporated, Springdaie, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application Uctober .2, 1951, Serial No. 249,376

2;Claims. (Cl. 285-465) This invention relates to mountings, in which objects of various kinds may be supported, and is concerned more particularly with a novel mounting, which holds the ob ject securely but permits its easy insertion and removal. The new mounting is especially adapted for supporting electronic tubes and, in that application, the mounting may include means for cooling the anode structure of the tube. Such a form of the mounting also includes packing means for preventing escape of the cooling fluid along the tube and through the mounting, such means becoming effective automatically upon insertion of the tube in the mounting. As all of the advantages of the invention areutilized in a form of the new mounting for use with electronic power tubes and having an'ode cooling means,

such an embodiment of the invention will be illustrated and described in detail for purposes of explanation.

The preferred form of the mounting provided with anode cooling means includes a body having an opening, through which the anode section of the tube may be inserted. A chamber attached to the body provides an enclosure for the anode and cooling fluid may be circulated through the chamber around the anode. The body is provided with a circumferential seat within the opening and a resilient packing ring of toroidal form is mounted within the body adjacent the seat to encircle the opening. The ring extends into the path of a part of the anode section, as the latter is inserted through the opening, and the ring is deformed by engagement with that part of the anode section to increase its area of contact with the seat. Tubes of the power type are frequently provided with a collar adjacent the inner end of the anode section and, in order to prevent withdrawal of the tube from the mounting, the body is provided with means, which are movable to overlie the collar or other part of the tube, when the tube is fully inserted in the mounting.

In one form of the new mounting the packing ring is supported upon a positioning seat within the opening of the body. Upon insertion of the tube into the socket the packing ring is compressed between the positioning seat and some portion of the tube. This compression of the packing ring produces a flattening or distortion in the shape of the ring which increases the outer diameter of the ring. The increase in outer diameter forces the outer surface of the ring into contact with a circumferential seat furnished by a portion of the inner wall of the body between the positioning seat and the outer end of the body from which end the tube is inserted. When the cooling fluid under pressure is admitted into the chamber around the tube, the pressure tends to cause an outward movement of tube and ring. The fluid pressure will also tend to further distort the packing ring into increased contact with the circumferential seat and the tube, thus insuring fluid tight seals between the packing ring and these surfaces. In order to assurethis increased .contact, access is afforded the fluid so that it may reach the packing ring on both sides of the positioning seat.

For a better understanding of my invention several preferred forms thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

2,746,775 Patented May 22, 1956 Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 11 of Fig. 3 through one form of the new mounting;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 4, showing the mounting with a tube in place therein;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and 44 of Fig. 2, respectively;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 6 showing a modified construction;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the mounting of Fig. 5;

Fig. .7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing another form of .the mounting;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a tube in place in the mounting;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of another form of the new mounting;

Fig..l0 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing a tube in place in the mounting;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9.

The mounting shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is intended to be used with a power tube, which comprises an anode secextends from one end of the body in position to receive the anode section of the tube, when the tube has been inserted in the mounting with its collar supported by the flange 14.

a The packing ring is of resilient material, such as a suit able rubber or synthetic rubber compound, and it is of toroidal form. The ring is ordinarily circular in cross section, but, in some applications, .a ring that is rectangular or triangular in cross-section may be employed. Spring means 17 atop the annular flange i4 separates a rigid ring 18 from said flange. That surface of the ring remote from the flange 14 forms a positioning seat 19 upon which rests toroidal ring 16. The inner cylindrical surface 13a of the annular body 13 between the positioning seat and the outer .end of the body serves as a circumferential seat for the toroidal ring 16.

The positioning seat 19 may be made frusto-conical as shown or it maybe made planar. A fmsto-conical seat as shown is preferred because it helps provide better contact between the circumferential seat and the packing ring and because, held by the contour of such a surface, the packing ring has little opportunity to shift to an improper position. The frusto-conical seat causes an increase in overall diameter of the packing ring when forced to a larger diameter portion of the seat while inserting the tube. Thus better contact with the circumferential seat is obtained than where the rings outer diameter is merely increased slightly by the compressive forces. By the same token, the packing ring used with a frusto-conical positioning seat need not be a close fitting ring. However, were a planar seat. employed without a close fit between the ring and the circumferential seat, the ring might fail to form a fluid tight seal with the circumferential seat due to the shifting of the ring to aposition eccentric with the axis of the body. On the other hand, a close fitting ring is undesirable because, for one reason, it is difficult tocorrectly insert initially and diflicult to subsequently remove for periodic examination and repair. It will be noted that the surface of the seat may be concave or convex as well as flat.

.As shown the toroidal ring 16 is a close fitting ring which contacts seat 13:: before the tube is in position.

With a frusto-conical seat it is not essential that ring 16 contact this circumferential seat 1311 until the collar bears against said ring. In any case, as the tube is inserted into the socket, axial pressure from the collar upon the packing ring 16 forces the ring to move to a larger diameter portion of seat 19. The axial movement of ring 16 is accompanied by an expansion of the diameter of its inner surface as it conforms to the diameter of that portion of the seat 19 against which it rests. As the inner diameter increases, the outer diameter of ring 16 also increases until it makes contact with circumferential seat 13a. Thus a fluid tight seal is made at seat 13a and at the collar 11.

The end of the body opposite to that from which chamber extends, is formed with an internal channel, in which is seated a split retainer ring 20. The ring is made of springy metal and, under normal conditions, it is seated tightly against the outer wall of the channel. The normal inner diameter of the retainer ring is sufficient to permit the passage therethrough of collar 11. The retainer ring is held in place by cap plate 21 secured to the end of the body to overlie the ring by screws 22. A channel is formed in the face of the body 13 along the outer edge of the latter beneath the cap plate and a locking ring 23 is mounted in this channel. The locking ring extends out way beyond the outer surface of the body and its exposed edge is knurled, as indicated at 24.

The under edge of the locking ring is formed with a plurality of cam surfaces 25, and, opposite each cam surface, the top of the body is formed with a radial slot, in which lies a row of metal balls 26. The halls are in tight contact with one another and with the retainer ring at one end of the row and with the cam surface 25 at the other end. At one end, each cam surface is provided with a notch 27, for a purpose to be described. The locking ring may be moved angularly with respect to the body of the mounting and such angular movement is limited by pin 28 which is mounted in an opening in the top of the body and has a projecting end lying within an arcuate notch 29 in the inner edge of the locking ring. The free end of chamber 15 is provided with a threaded Opening for reception of a pipe 30, through which cooling fluid may be introduced into the chamber. The fluid flows upward between the chamber walls and the tube and leaves through an opening formed either through body 13 or flange 14 (as shown), into which opening an outlet pipe 31 is threaded. Adjacent the outlet opening, the shape of the body forms an internal channel to permit an increased flow of the fluid around the top to the outlet.

In the use of the mounting, the locking ring is first moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the deep position of each cam groove lies opposite the end of the row of balls associated with that groove and in that position of the locking ring the retainer ring 20 is fully expanded. The anode end of the tube is then inserted into the mounting and, when the collar 11 is placed atop the packing ring 16, it causes the latter to be distorted to make extended contact with positioning seat 19 and circumferential seat 1311 and with the surface of the collar 11. After the tube is in position with the collar placed atop the packing ring 16, the locking ring 23 is moved angularly to cause the cam surface to act through balls 26 to clamp the retainer ring, so that it overlies the collar 11. With the parts in the positions described, the top is securely held in position and can only be withdrawn after the locking ring has been returned to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. When the locking ring has been moved to its extreme position for locking purposes, the outer balls in the rows enter the notches 27 at the ends of the cam surfaces and the seating of the balls in the notches prevents the locking ring from being shifted to open position by vibration. The tightness of the contact of the packing ring with the surface of its circumferential seat and with the surface of the collar is increased by the pressure of the fluid which has access to the packing ring between the positioning seat 19 and the collar 11 and between the positioning seat 19 and the circumferential seat 1311. In gaining access to a portion of the packing ring 16 between the two seats it is necessary for the fluid to flow around the spring means 17 between the flange 14 and the ring 18 and thence between the inner surface of the body 13 and the ring 18.

In the modified locking construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the locking ring 23 is formed with an inwardly projecting arm 33 which lies in a cavity in the end of the body 13 between stop surface 34 and 35 and extends into the space between the ends of the retainer ring. When the locking ring 23 is moved to locking position, the inner end of arm 33 lies close to the ends of the retainer ring, so that, if the retainer ring should be corroded and adhere to the collar of the tube, the movement of the locking ring in clockwise direction to release the tube would cause the end of arm 33 to engage one end of the retainer ring 20 and break the adhesion of the ring to the tube.

The construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is employed with a tube, the anode section 40 of which has a reentrant portion at the outer end of which is mounted a ring 41. The body 42 has an internal cylindrical surface 43 which forms a seat against which a packing ring 44 of toroidal form may be seated. The packing ring also makes contact with the inclined end or frusto-conical surface 45 of a ring 46 which lies within the opening through the body and rests upon a spring 47 bearing against an inwardly extending radial flange 48 at one end of the body 42. The wall of the cooling chamber 49 extends through the mounting and terminates at 50 within the reentrant portion of a tube in the mounting. The outer surface of body 42, adjacent its open end, is provided with threads 51, with which are engaged threads on the interior of a nut 52. The nut 52 is a short tubular member with its inner surface threaded adjacent one end and a smooth surfaced inner surface adjacent its other end. A ring 53 with a cam surface 54 lies against the smooth inner surface of nut 52. A split retainer ring 55 having a beveled surface engaging the cam surface 54 on ring 53 is also mounted within the nut. An annular cap member 56 is affixed to the nut member 52 at the end adjacent its smooth inner surface, which cap holds in place the ring 53 and the retainer ring 55. With the construction described, the tube is inserted into the mounting until the collar 41 rests upon the top of the packing ring 44 and the top of the collar lies beneath the lower edge of the retainer ring 66. Nut 52 is now turned until the cam ring 53 moves down to engage the collar 41, after which further turning of the nut causes the locking ring to be forced inwardly to overlie the upper end of collar 41 and thereafter acts through the collar to move the tube inwardly into the mounting so that the collar deforms the packing ring 44 to give it increased areas of contact with frusto-conical seat 45, circumferential seat 43 and under surface of the collar 41.

In the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the body 60 of the mounting is formed with an internal flange or shoulder 61 somewhat inclined to the axis of the opening through the body and formed with a plurality of openings 62. A packing ring 63 is mounted within the body to rest on the outer frusto-conical surface of flange 61, and the body is provided with retaining means in the form of radial pins 64. When the tube is inserted in the mounting, the end section of the tube is passed through the opening defined by flange 61 until the collar 65 on the anode section engages the packing ring 63 and distorts it into contact with the inner wall 66 of the body and into increased contact with the frusto-conical surface of flange 61. The operation of the pin retaining means used in Figs. 9 and 10 may be seen in Fig. 11. The pins 64 lie in radial openings. Each of the pins has a groove on the under side of its end exposed beyond the body. A ring 67 encircles the body and is supported on a ring 68 seated in a circumferential recess in the outer surface of the body and projecting beyond that surface. Ring 67 is provided with a plurality of cams 69, which enter the grooves in the respective pins 65. As the ring 67 is rotated counterclockwise from its position shown in Fig. 11, thepin members 64 are urged inward to overlie the collar 65 by means of the cams 69. The mounting as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is provided with a cooling chamber (not shown) receiving the anode section of the tube and, when cooling fluid under pressure is admitted into the chamber, it flows through the passages provided by openings 62 in the flange and also around the inner edge of the flange to apply pressure to the packing ring 63, thereby increasing the leakproof contact of the ring with the circumferential seat 66 in the body and the under surface of collar 65.

It will be noted that in all of the constructions described herein the packing ring is supported and positioned in the body by means providing a seat. This means providing a positioning seat may be rigidly or resiliently fixed in position relative to the body. Only one means of resiliently coupling the means to the body has been described. Likewise, only one means of rigidly positioning the means has been described. Other means of fixing the seat relative to the body will occur to one skilled in the art and are within the scope and spirit of my invention.

Although my invention contemplates the possibility of making a fluidtight seal at the positioning seat, it is recognized that, for most applications, a seal at this place is unnecessary because a fluidtight seal is made at a circumferential seat as Well as at the collar. In most instances the positioning seat merely acts to hold the packing ring in correct position. Fluid pressure alone will hold the packing ring in place once the tube is in position in the mounting. In fact, the fluid pressure tends to improve the seal by distorting the packing ring into closer contact with the collar and the circumferential seat. However, the effectiveness of the fluid in improving the seal is dependent upon the fluids reaching most of the surface of the packing ring between the circumferential seat and the collar. The fluid has access adjacent the tube to that portion of the packing ring between the positioning seat and the collar. However, access to that portion of the ring between the positioning seat and the circumferential seat must often be specifically provided for by means of passages or channels through solid members.

Although a number of different forms of locking means for retaining the tube in the mounting have been shown, the construction including a retaining ring as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 is preferred for the following reasons. When the retainer ring 20 in the construction shown in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, for example, has been collapsed to overlie a part of the tube, such as collar 11, and water has been admitted to the jacket, the water pressure of the water against the tube causes collar 11 to clamp the retainer ring 20 tightly against the under surface of cap plate 21. At this time, the outermost balls 26 in each row lie in the notches 27 in the locking ring 23, and, in order to release the retainer ring, the locking ring must be turned clockwise (as shown in Fig. 3). In the initial part of such movement of the locking ring, the balls are forced inwardly to permit the outermost ball in each row to move out of its notch 27, and such inward movement of the balls causes a slight further collapse of the retainer ring. However, when water pressure is applied to the tube, the collar 11 clamps the retainer ring 20 so tightly against the under-side of cap plate 21 that the locking ring can not be turned by hand. As a result, it is impossible to move the retainer ring to inoperative position while the water pressure is on and thus there is no pos sibility of discharge of water and accidental forceful expulsion of the tube from the mounting is prevented.

If, as a result of carelessness in locking the tube in the mounting, the locking ring is not moved until the outermost ball in each row is in its notch 27 and thereafter 6 the water is turned on, it might be possible by applica tion of considerable force to move the locking ring to release the retainer ring. However, the pressure of the Water would cause the retainer ring to be clamped against the cap plate so tightly that the retainer ring could not expand and release the tube from its mounting.

Another advantage of using the retainer ring construction for holding the tube in its mounting is that the retainer ring makes a flat and substantially continuous contact throughout the entire circumference of the collar 11 or a like part of the tube, when the tube is locked in the mounting. The pressure of the water against the tube is thus restricted throughout practically the entire circumference of collar 11 and no points of stresses develop on the collar with resultant possible distortion of the latter. Even a slight distortion of the collar may produce stresses which are transmitted to the seal between the anode section and the glass envelope 12, and such stresses may result in leakage at the seal. With the construction described, the pressure applied to collar 11 is approximately that of the internal water pressure only and, because of the distribution of that pressure continuously throughout substantially the circumference of the collar, the application of the water pressure to the tube is not transmitted through localized areas of the collar to the metal-to-glass seal with resultant damage thereto.

This application contains subject matter disclosed in my United States application Serial Number 780,285, filed October 16, 1947, and this application constitutes a continuation-in-part of said prior application.

I claim:

1. A mounting for an article having an outwardly projecting circumferential collar spaced inwardly from one end of the article, which comprises an annular body having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the collar, flange means extending inwardly from the wall of the body in the opening through the body, a rigid ring within the body having a face remote from the flange which provides a positioning seat and having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said end of the article and less than that of the collar, spring means separating the rigid ring and the flange, a circumferential seat formed by a portion of the wall of the opening between the positioning seat and the outer end of the body, a resilient packing ring of toroidal form lying against the positioning seat between of the collar and the seat, the ring having an internal diameter greater than the outer diameter of said end of the article and less than that of the collar, means defining a passage between the two seats, and means at the outer end of the body movable to overlie the collar for preventing removal of the article from the body.

2. A mounting for an article having an outwardly projecting circumferential collar spaced inwardly from one end of the article, which comprises an annular body having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the collar, flange means extending inwardly from the wall of the body in the opening through the body, a rigid ring within the body having a face remote from the flange which provides a frusto-conical seat and having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said end of the article and less than that of the collar, spring means separating the ring and the flange, a circumferential seat formed by a portion of the wall of the opening between the frusto-conical seat and the outer end of the body, a resilient packing ring of toroidal form lying against the frusto-conical seat between the collar and the seat, the ring having an internal diameter greater than the outer diameter of said end of the article and less than that of the collar, means defining a passage between the two seats, and means at the outer end of the body for preventing removal of the article from the body.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Brede et a1. Apr. 21, 1925 Housekeeper Feb. 9, 1926 5 Church Oct. 19, 1926 Haddock Jan. 29, 1929 Bowen Nov. 17, 1936 

